Machine for picking up stones



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

A. J. DE WITT.

'MAGHINB FOR PIOKING UP STONES.

No. 598,699. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

, U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE..-

ALPHA JOHN WITT, OF MATAMORAS, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR PICKING UP STONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,699,0lated February8, 1898.

Application filed December 16 1896. Serial No. 615,859. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHA JOHN DE WITT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Matamoras, in the county of Pike and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forPicking Up Stones, of which the following is a full and completespecification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to machinesfor pick: ing up small stones, and particularly for picking up stonesfrom loose ground; and the object of the invention is to provide animproved machine of this class which issimple in construction andoperation and which may be operated wherever such machines are required.p

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figurel is a planView of my improved machine; Fig. 2, a side view thereof, and Figs. 3and 4 details of the construction on an enlarged scale.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts ofmy improve ment are designated by the same numerals of referencethroughout the several views, and in the practice of my invention 1provide a truck comprising a forward and rear axle 5 and 6 and each ofwhich is provided. with wheels 7 of the usual or any preferred construction, and mounted upon the axles 5 and 6 is a main frame,consisting of longitudinal bars 8 and cross-bars 9.

The rear axle 6 of the machine is provided, adjacent to one end thereof,with a sprocketwheel 10, and the main frame is provided at each sidewith a vertical standard 11, and mounted in the upper end of saidstandard 11 is a power-shaft 12, one end of which is provided with asprocket-wheel 13, and the sprocket-wheels 10 and 13 are geared inconne'ction by a drive-chain 14.

Connected with the shaft 12 are longitudinal bars 15, which extendforwardly almost to the front end of the main frame and are connectedwith a shaft 16, on the opposite ends of which are mountedsprocket-wheels 17, and the shaft 12 is also provided with correspondingsprocket-wheels 18, and the sprocket-wheels 17 on the shaft 16 and thesprocket-wheels 18- on the shaft 12 are geared in connection bydrive-chains 19.

The central portion of the shaft 16 is pref erably angular in crosssection, and the lon gitudinal bars 15 are connected therewith by screwsor bolts 20, which pass therethrough and which are provided with nuts orburs 21, and by means of this construction the distance between theshafts 16 and 12 may be crank 23, formed on a transverse shaft 24,

and pivotally connected with the forward end of one of the side bars 8of the main frame is a lever 25, to the upper end of which is pivoted arod 26, which is also connected with the upper end of one of the arms22, and by means of the lever. 25 the shaft 16 may be raised or loweredand with it the bars 15 and the drive-chains 19.

The drive-chains 19 are provided at suitable intervals with cross-bars27, each of which is provided with backwardly and forwardly curved teeth28, and pivotally connected with the ends of the shaft 16are downwardlyand backwardly directed arms 29, each of which is provided withalongitudinal slot 30, through which passes a shaft 31, and the shaft 31also passes through two similar parallel bars 32,

which are pivoted at 33 to the bottoms of the main bars 8 of the frameby means of. a rod 34:, arranged transversely of the main frame,

and the bars 32 are connected throughouttheir lengths by a bottom plate35, near the forward end of which are formed longitudinal [slots oropenings 36, which constitute a brake through which the dirt passes inthe operation of the device, as hereinafter described,

and which are designed to separate the dirt from the stones, and theforward end of the bottom plate 35, by which the bars 32 are connected,is provided with teeth 36.

The rear cross-bar 9 of the main frame is pro vided withbackwardly-directed extensions 37, to which is pivoted. a tray or othersuit axle 6.

able receptacle 38, said tray or receptacle being pivoted centrallythereof, as shown at 39,

and the tray or receptacle 38 is open at its rear side, as shown at 40,and provided at one side with a rod 41, with which is connected one armof a double crank 42, which is pivoted at 43, and to the other arm ofwhich is pivoted a rod 44, which extends forwardly to the forward partof the main frame and is pivotally connected with a lever 45, and bymeans of the lever 45 the tray or receptacle 38 may be dumped wheneverdesired, or the rear end thereof may be depressed and the forward endraised, and in the normal position thereof the forward end of said trayor receptacle abuts against the rear ends of the bars 32, and the bottomplate 35, between the bars 32, comes even with the top of said tray orreceptacle.

The free ends of the pivoted arms 29, which support the forward ends ofthe bars 32, are adapted to rest upon the ground, and the said forwardends of the bars 32 are free to rise and fall by means of theirconnection with said arms 29, and in the operation of the device theshafts 12 and 16, the sprocket-wheels 17 and 18 mounted thereon,respectively, the drive-chain 19, with the cross bars or links 27, thehooks or teeth 28, and the bars 32, which are connected with the plate35, constitute an elevator. by means of which the stones are picked upand carried backwardly and deposited in the tray or receptacle 38, andthe side bars 32 and the bottom plate 35, by which they are connected,constitute the track or way of the elevator, and this apparatus isoperated by means of the drive-chain 14 and the sprocket-wheel 10 onthey rear I also provide means for throwing the apparatus out of gearand for stopping the operative parts thereof or the elevator withoutstopping the truck or vehicle, and this apparatus is of the followingconstruction, which is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4:

The shaft 12 is provided, adjacent to one end thereof, with a suitableclutch-head 46, and one of the sprocket-wheels 18 is provided with acorresponding clutch -head 47, and mounted on the endof the shaft 12 isa spiral spring 48, which is adapted to force the sprocket-wheel 18 inthe direction of said clutch-head 46 and to hold the same in such mannerthat the clutch-head of the sprocketwheel will engage with that formedon or secured to the shaft, and mounted in a suitable keeper 49, securedto one of the standards 11, is the shaft 50 of a vertically-movable yoke51, the sides of which are wedge-shaped in form, and the lower end ofthe shaft 50 of the yoke 51 is connected with one arm of a crank-lever52 by means of a pin 53, which passes through a slot 54 formed therein,and the other arm of said crank-lever is provided with a similar slot55, through which passes a pin 56, formed on or connected with a rod 57,which extends forwardly along the main frame and ispivotally connectedwith a lever 58, and the yoke 51 may be forced upwardly, so as toseparate the clutchhead on the sprocket-wheel from that on the shaft,and when the parts are in this position the sprocket-wheel 18 willrevolve without operating the elevator.

The operation of this apparatus will be readily understood from theforegoing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the following statement thereof:

The Vehicle or truck is adapted to be moved by horses or in any desiredmanner, and as the same progresses or moves over the ground thepower-shaft 12 of the elevator is revolved, and this revolves thedrive-chains 19 and the sprocket-wheels on the shaft 16, and in thisoperation of the drive-chains 19 the cross bars or links 27 are carriedaround over the sprocket-wheels 17 and 18, and when passing over thetrack or way composed of the side bars 32 and the bottom plate 25, bywhich they are connected, they carry the stones which are picked up bythe shaft 36 backwardly and upwardly over said track or way and dropthem into the tray or receptacle 38.

The tray or receptacle 38 may be dumped whenever desired by means of thelever 45,

and it will also be understood that the forward end of the elevator andof the track or way may also be raised whenever desired by the lever 25,and whenever desirable the elevator apparatus may be thrown out of gearby operating the lever 45.

My invention is not limited to the exact form,construction,combination,and arrangement of parts as herein described,as it is evident that changes therein and modifications thereof may bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificingits advantages, and it will also be apparent that a suitable brakeapparatus may be applied to the main frame or truck, and that said mainframe or truck may also be provided with a suitable seat or seats, theseparts being of any desired construction and are not shown.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent The herein-described machine for picking up stones,comprising the combination with a truck and frame of a sprocket-wheel10, vertical standards 11, shaft 12, sprocket-wheel 13, drive-chain 14,longitudinal bars 15, shaft 16, sprocket-wheels 17 and 18, drive-chains19, arms 22, crank 23, shaft 24, lever 25, a rod 26, elevator cross-bars27, having teeth 28, arms 29, having slots 30, shaft 31,pivotallyconnected bars 32, a rod 34 bottom plate 35, having slots 36and teeth 36, a pivoted tray or receptacle 38, rod 41, double crank 42 apivotally-connected rod 44, a lever 45, clutchheads 46 and 47, spiralspring 48, shaft 50 Vertic ally movable yoke 51, crank lever 52, myinvention I have signed my name, in presadapted to engage said shaft 50a rod 58 pivence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 11th otally andslidably connected with said crankday of December, 1896.

lever, lever 58, all combined substantially as ALPHA JOHN DE WITT. 5shown and described and for the purpose set Witnesses:

forth. ERNEST O. FISHER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as GEORGE M. LAUBSHIN.

